USS Grunion Found

The US Navy has confirmed that the wreck found in 2006 in 3,200 feet of water off the island of Kiska in the Aleutians is that of USS Grunion (SS 216), a WWII “fleet” submarine lost in action in 1942. There were no survivors, and post-war searches of Japanese anti-submarine patrol records gave no indication as to her fate.

The search and discovery was led by the two sons of Grunion’s commanding officer, Lt. Cdr Mannert Able. A memorial is planned in Cleveland, OH on October 11, to be attended by the families of Grunion’s crew.

You can read about the search and discovery of Grunion at http://www.ussgrunion.com .

Looking at those photos a mile beneath the surface, I was filled with sadness. As a small child, my father worked on submarines at the shipyard in Pascagoula, MS, so I’ve always felt a special bond with the silent service.